Fifteen bodies found after rocket attack on refugee convoy in Ukraine

Fifteen bodies have so far been recovered from the site of a rocket strike on a refugee convoy of buses and cars in eastern Ukraine, a military spokesman said on Tuesday.

“By 7pm last night we retrieved 15 bodies ... The search continued into the night and is continuing today,” the spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, said.

The attack occurred near the city of Luhansk, close to the border with Russia, in an area where there had been intense artillery exchanges between government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

The Kiev military blamed the attack on Monday on the rebels, but they have denied responsibility. At least one rebel leader suggested no attack had occurred.

The military said many of those killed, who included women and children, had been burned beyond recognition. Many bodies had been blown apart by the blast.